Some Kind Of Understanding
by Kat56
Summary: Lily has a problem, she just can't seem to manage non-verbal defence. When James suggests she seeks help from his best mate, she scoffs. But, she's just desperate enough to do it. A brief peak into a burgeoning friendship between the two people who James loved most.
Some Kind of Understanding

 _A/n: I am not nor have I ever been JKR. Just a fan playing in the world she created. I wanted to take a look at the relationship between Sirius and Lily. The girlfriend and the best friend. There has been a lot of speculation about the nature of their relationship. I can't see Lily being okay with naming him godfather if she didn't trust him 100 percent. So here is a glimpse into a tentative friendship._

"I'm useless!" Lily groaned. "I'm never going to get non-verbal defence, it's hopeless,"

"You were fine in there Lils, it will come," said James soothingly.

"Easy for you to say, you got it within the first five minutes," she said tightening her red ponytail.

"I'll tell you what, Sirius has always been crazy good with non-verbal. I can ask him to help you this afternoon during your spare."

"Black, your solution is Black! He will never let me live this down. Why can't you or Remus help me?"

" We don't have the same spare, plus Sirius taught us how to do it. You were better then 60% of the class in there, the only reason I'm suggesting it is your close to pulling out your hair. Besides Sirius is a good guy, it would make life a lot easier if the two of you got along."

"Fine!" she huffed.

Lily piled all her books into her bag and headed towards the room James had told her Black would be in. She wasn't sure why she was doing this, she wasn't particularly fond of her boyfriend's best friend. He was exceedingly arrogant, and she was sure this would just be fodder for him.

As she approached the room she saw Black leaning against the wall. He was extremely good-looking. He had piercing grey eyes, a chiselled jaw, and cheekbones so sharp you could cut yourself on them. She had come across many members of his family and they were all ridiculously attractive in that old-blood sort of way. Even his younger brother Regulus had spawned admirers all over the school. But where Regulus was soft and regal, Sirius was strong and masculine. He had let his hair grow-out and it now reached his shoulders in thick flawless waves. Most blokes she knew couldn't pull of the look but on him it made him look like some sort of cross between a hippy and a rockstar.

'Ready Evans?" he asked with the half grin he was famous for the one that drove her insane every time she saw it.

"Let's get this over with Black,"

"After you," he said opening the door.

The first fifteen minutes were pure and utter hell. She tried so hard but she couldn't get anything to work. She could feel his eyes watching her silently judging her.

"You aren't saying the word clearly Evans," he groaned running his hand over his face.

"It's non-verbal for a reason Black!"

"You have to say the word clearly in your head otherwise it won't work,"

"That's it! I give up she," she fumed exasperated. She was getting worse, she could feel the sweat at the base of her neck. Her dark red hair was a mess because she was constantly playing with it.

"You' re trying too hard. It really isn't that hard you just keep telling yourself it is," he said clearly exasperated as well by her lack of progress.

"Says you! Everything comes so easy for you," she snarled

"Okay hold your thestrals! When did this become about me?"

"It is always about you! We get the same grades but I study continually, while you goof off. You always get a spell on the first go! The teachers love you despite the fact that you' re constantly goofing off. Tell me Black, how is it that everything comes so easy for you but I struggle just to keep up!"

" I would have thought it was obvious," he said clearly unfazed by her outburst.

"And why is that?" she asked his calmness irritating her more.

"You're muggleborn,"

"You prejudiced arse! I don't know why James puts up with you!" she fumed turning on her heels. But he blocked the door.

"That isn't what I meant and you know it,"

"Then what do you mean?" she asked rolling her eyes this was going to be good she thought acidly.

"Evans if your going to be around me you will have to learn I speak without thinking. I don't mean that you're inferior, I just… Let me give you an example… of what I mean kay?"

"Fine," she huffed.

"The summer after second year James' family took us to some famous muggle beach for two weeks. Newqua … Nequay, I think it was called? Anyway it doesn't matter the beach was packed and there were all these muggles riding around on bicycles. I thought they were the coolest things ever, so James and I rented some. I proceeded to fall flat on my face over and over again. I couldn't get the hang of it. Here I was thirteen years old and couldn't figure this muggle contraption out for the life of me. There were seven year olds looking at me laughing as they pulled their bikes up onto one wheel. Why do you think it came so easy for them but I struggled?"

"Because you're an idiot?" she said failing to see the relevance of the story.

"Funny, no these kids had been learning to ride a bike since they were five they had worked their way up, until it was so easy they barely remember the struggle. I had no point of reference, it takes a completely different set of muscles to hold yourself up on broom. It wasn't that these kids were inherently better then me, but that they had more exposure. It's the same with magic."

"But they have laws about underage magic,"

"That is a relatively new law Evans. It wasn't that long ago where it only applied to muggleborns."

"But that's so unfair,"

"It was but they used the Statue of Secrecy as the reason for it. It wasn't until muggleborns realizing the unfairness of it all started protesting, that they even considered changing the law,"

"So what does that have to do with now?" she asked.

"The majority of the Ministry is still pureblood, do you honestly think they would sacrifice their leg up. The trace spell can only tell when magic is performed around an underage witch or wizard, it can't actually tell who cast it. The theory is the magical parents will monitor their own children. My parents had me practicing from the very first moment I showed my first bought of accidental magic. Some of the students you are competing with have been performing magic before you even knew what you were. The fact that you do so well despite all that has been stacked against you is a huge accomplishment!"

"Really?" she asked quietly. "Sometimes I feel like their right, that I'm defective somehow," she sighed.

"You start to believe that, and then they win. Do you know how many years I've been practicing non-verbal defence?"

"How long?"

"Since I was fourteen! Bellatrix used to use me as a target to practice her duelling skills. She's seven years older then me they only way I could keep up was if I caught her by surprise. It took me two years to get it to work properly. You may not have cast it properly in class but at least you got a flicker of a shield,"

"Why are you telling me this?" she asked confused that she of all people was getting a rare insight into his home life. He almost never talked about his family.

"I told you, if you let them get to you, they win. I'll take every opportunity handed to me to prove my parents wrong," he said shrugging.

"So I'm just a means to an end am I?" she teased.

"Partly," he smiled.

"What's the other part?"

" I like having one over you," she rolled her eyes.

"At least your being honest,"

"No I'm not," he sighed.

"But I swear to Merlin if you tell anyone what I'm about to say I'll hex you into next year," she nodded.

"James is my best friend, and he cares about you a lot. That makes you family in my book,"

"Why do you insist on winding me up all the time then?" she asked generally curious. He laughed his signature bark like laugh and she couldn't help but smile.

"I wind everyone up, unless I'm hexing you while I do it its generally a good sign," she rolled her eyes again but this time she was smiling.

"Alright Black, work your magic!"

"Okay when your not actually saying the spell the wand work becomes extremely important. Focus on the movement and close your eyes," she did as he said.

"No Evans you got to keep your frame supported," he said adjusting her arms so they fell in line with her shoulders. "Confidence is half the battle, you allow your frame to drop there is going to be less power. Alright now I want you to say the spell clearly in your mind. Don't be lazy just because its in your head pronunciation is just as important,"

She took a deep breath keeping her frame supported, she said the spell clearly in her head following through with the movement.

"Open your eyes Evans," she opened them quickly so see a perfect shield surrounding her and Black.

"I did it she," squealed

"See not so hard after all," he said smiling.

"Thank you, I know I wasn't the easiest student," she smiled.

"Nothing I couldn't handle, Red."

"Friends?" she asked holding out her hand.

"I don't know, I think I might need a little more time to decide….. Your on probation," he teased.

She couldn't help but laugh. Maybe James was right, he wasn't so bad after all.

 _A/n: Just a little something different from my usual fare. I'm not sure I like the way I characterized Lily here. She kind of comes off antagonistic for very little reason, but I feel like it had to be really stressful being a muggleborn at Hogwarts. They are extremely disadvantaged and for overachiever like Lily it had to be extremely frustrating to watch James and Sirius coast through their classes with hardly any effort. She fell for James but I feel like it probably took a little longer for her to warm up to Sirius. But, once she did I feel like the probably clicked. But, that's just one woman's opinion. Please review._


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